


In the Dark

by AlwaysMyChoices



Category: In the Dark - Fandom
Genre: Boss/Employee Relationship, Drinking, F/M, Late Night Conversations, Love, Mentor/Protégé, Nightclub, you up texts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:54:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25523200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlwaysMyChoices/pseuds/AlwaysMyChoices
Summary: Drunk and dancing in a dark club, Charlie can only think of Ethan Ramsey...
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart), Ethan Ramsey/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 13





	In the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> based off of the "Because ours are the moments I play in the dark" prompt

The bass pounded, shaking the floor of the nightclub and rattling eardrums as it intoxicated every club-goer just as strongly as the flowing drinks, and Charlie jumped along to the beat. She was five-drinks deep, spilling her sixth as she swayed to the song, and she screamed lyrics she hardly remembered when sober. Everything was painted in a distorting golden hue, casting the world in a warm blanket of newness and exhilaration. She held out her hand for Kyra, who clutched it wildly as they locked eyes to yell the chorus.

Only a few hours ago, Charlie hadn’t known about this band or the show, nor had she any intentions to leave her apartment this weekend. Kyra was the one with the extra ticket, and from the comfort of Charlie’s bedroom, she’d played every song they’d ever made while they got ready together.

Dancing and singing with her best friend, Charlie felt like she was making a sacred memory, and in the haze, everything felt perfect. It was magical and beautiful and fun, and Charlie could have stayed like that for the rest of the night.

Kyra released her friend’s hand, screaming something over the crowd about buying another round of drinks. Though Charlie only got the gist of it, she waved her on supportively, adding, _“BUY ME A MOJITO!”_

Kyra hardly heard her but blew her a playful kiss goodbye as she moved through the crowd to find Bryce at the bar. Now alone, Charlie moved up, peeking over the mass of people in front of her to see the musician belt a final, powerful note.

“Is everyone having fun tonight?” Raleigh Carrera asked the crowd, and it roared in response. He devilishly grinned, “That’s what I like to hear! For the next one, you’re gonna wanna grab someone special. Remember to thank me if you get lucky tonight!” Raleigh smirked, stepping back on the stage as the next song began.

It was quieter than the last but no less intoxicating. The bass-heavy, invigorating beat was replaced with a smooth, seductive tempo that left Charlie dazed. Drunk and captivated with the night, Charlie felt as if she could _feel_ this song, like her entire body was wired to be entranced with the melody. She felt more aware of herself than she had all night, yet she was disconnected from the rest of the world. She felt the thud of her heartbeat and the sweat on her skin, and there was something instinctive about her sway and movement to the rhythm.

There were hands on her hips now, and Charlie melted into them.

The man who now held her was cool against her burning skin, and she felt drawn to him, like she was tied to him if just for the rest of the song. She could smell his cologne over the alcohol and sweat of the nightclub, and she leaned back into him, drinking it in. As he pulled her into him, she felt a pang of desire as she landed against the strong, broad plains of his abdomen.

Her eyes fluttering closed, she could only hear the song and feel this man.

And in that haze, Charlie saw Ethan Ramsey.

She felt his hands on hers in the car, squeezing as he said goodnight. She felt her shoulder brush his as they crowded into small elevators and their hands accidentally meet as they reached for the same file. She felt the less innocent, more intent caress in his bed – his hands on her thighs, her hips, her waist, her breasts…

She experienced the warmth of his smile and the rush of heat when he gave her that smirk.

The man from the club was still touching her, but Charlie could only see Ethan.

She fled to the memories of shared laughter and tangled bedsheets. They were unbearably rare, yet she held onto what she had, twisting them into magnificence. Every time she thought of them, the smiles were a little wider and her heart was a little warmer.

She imagined it was really him, that he was here with her.

Ethan would hate the music, but he would stay for her. He wouldn’t scream the lyrics with her like Kyra, but he would smile watching. He would have his arms around her waist, moving gently to the music as he savored having her near. He would make sure she left safely, and he would put her to bed with a glass of water and a kiss, even if he would laugh at her hangover in the morning.

It was perfect.

The man was spinning her around, and with her eyes closed, she could still feel Ethan beside her. The man was taller than her, less tall than Ethan but close enough that Charlie could still reach up and tangle her hands in his hair. The man’s hands roamed up her back, cementing her to his chest as his lips brushed across hers. His stubble tickled her skin, just like Ethan’s had.

And just wanting one last kiss from Ethan, she leaned into the man and kissed him.

But he didn’t taste right.

Charlie opened her eyes, and the perfect image was shattered. He wasn’t Ethan.

He was younger, shorter, and much hipper than Ethan was. He didn’t look at Charlie like Ethan did, nor did his seductive smirk make her heart flutter like Ethan’s would.

Charlie was suddenly disgusted and heartbroken, and she stepped back, gasping for air as the mirage slipped through her fingers. It had never been Ethan. It had always been this _man_ , this _imposter_.

She couldn’t stand to look at him, nor to stand in this spot where she’d conjured bliss. As his hands reached out to pull her close again, she stepped farther back in a huff. She charged through the crowds, suddenly overwhelmed by the sound and the people and the dim light. She bumped into people as she went, earning complaints.

She needed to escape. She wanted to go back to her mental paradise, but it was too far gone.

Charlie spotted Kyra near the bar, and she quickly approached her, though she was unsure what to say. Should she beg to leave? Should she try to explain the situation over the loud music and horny couples?

“I GOT YOUR MOJITO!” Kyra screamed as she saw Charlie, shoving the glass in her friend’s direction, and Charlie didn’t accept it. Kyra’s smile faltered as she appraised her. Something had visibly changed, and concerned, Kyra moved in closer, yelling in Charlie’s ear, “Are you okay?”

 _No,_ she thought.

But Charlie couldn’t will herself to admit that, so she screamed back, “I’m just going to the bathroom! I’ll text you to find you!”

Kyra gave her a wary glance, “Want me to go with you?”

“No, no, I’m fine!” Charlie assured her, desperate for Kyra to not accompany her. She needed to escape, to breathe. She needed to ground herself in reality because she could no longer hide in fantasy.

Kyra gave her one last questioning look before accepting her decision and returning to the crowd, Bryce still lagging behind as he flirted with the bartender to get a discount on a round of shots. Charlie only hoped that Kyra picked a new spot farther away from _that man_ , and at the mere thought of him, she pushed herself further away through the concertgoers. She found the bathroom line in the back, but it was overrun with drunk, desperate girls asking if the person ahead _really_ needed to go.

Instantly claustrophobic, Charlie left the bathroom line and went to the front door instead. She held out her hand to the bouncer, allowing him to stamp her hand so that she could return, and as soon as he was done, she rushed to freedom.

The night air was sobering and cold against her sweaty skin, and she greedily gulped it. Downtown Boston was electric and full of young people milling around her, but compared to the packed nightclub, the sidewalk was a haven.

Charlie ducked out of the way of an oncoming couple, leaning against the cool concrete wall of the bar. She stared into the sky, looking for stars, but they were obscured by the city lights. Instead, she closed her eyes and took three calming, deep breaths. The world finally stopped spinning, and for a moment, she found clarity.

In the dark, she could see him again.

She could see Ethan.

He wasn’t holding her or whispering sweet nothings, but she could see him nonetheless. She was acutely aware of his absence beside her as the memories flooded her. Tender kisses, longing stares, and ill-fated attempts to stay away formed a tapestry of their relationship. She wasn’t supposed to want him, but she did.

 _Why can’t you let me go?_ the Ethan in her mind asked, a question that the real Ethan had never said but likely thought. Every time they fell together, he seemed just as shocked that she wanted him, too.

 **“Because ours are the moments I play in the dark,”** she whispered to him, shutting her eyes so tight that she saw stars. She wanted to hold on so, so hard, but the memories grew hazy. Tears welled behind her eyelids until the weight of them forced her eyes open.

And she was back in the light, and he was gone.

Charlie wiped at her eyes, trying to preserve something that was out of reach. Her dignity had been taken the moment she pretended to kiss Ethan as another man held her, but she liked to maintain the illusion of it. She felt like she still had power over herself, like she wouldn’t run back to her star-crossed lover the moment she missed him.

But it was all an illusion, wasn’t it?

Charlie took out her phone, instinctively opening his contact. The picture was of him frowning in his office, surrounded by studies during a late-night research session. His glasses were skewed, and his hair rustled from his anxious habit of raking his fingers through his hair while reading. It was a tender and intimate image, and she stared at it until it turned blurry, lost in the memory. 

When she opened the text message, she had to take extra care while typing, still inebriated and overwhelmed.

**Charlie : are you up?**

As Charlie pressed send, she leaned back to the concrete wall, settling herself with deep breaths.

 _He doesn’t have to answer,_ she thought, _He_ shouldn’t _answer._

Charlie began to prepare herself to return to the bar. Right now, she couldn’t stomach leaving the peaceful night air to dive back into the cramped crowd, just to dance like nothing was wrong. But she needed to. She needed to stop letting Ethan control her life.

Then, her phone buzzed.

Because, miles away, Ethan had been staring into the dark and thinking of her…

**Ethan : yes.**

Charlie appraised the text for several seconds, knowing that she shouldn’t respond.

But, she typed out, **Charlie: I’m downtown.**

**Ethan : do you need a ride home?**

Charlie considered his offer.

She could have a few minutes alone with him, sharing a car ride back to her apartment. She could feel his warmth and watch his brow furrow in concern as he asked why she’d been so reckless as to get drunk without a secure ride home.

But she wanted more than that. She wanted more of him. 

**Charlie : no.**

A moment passed.

**Charlie : but I could be at your apartment in twenty minutes.**

_Ethan is typing…_

Charlie watched the screen until the three words disappeared without a message, and she felt her heart crack. She gripped her phone tighter, tempted to chuck it into the busy street to never have to look at the text thread again.

What had she been thinking?

And how… how could he say no?

Or rather, how could he say nothing at all? She began to wonder if all of this epic love story was merely one-sided. Was she just the naïve resident in love with an attending who didn’t share the sentiment? She was crying again, but these tears were angrier, more frustrated. She began to dream about the mojito Kyra was saving for her. She imagined drinking it – and maybe a few more – just to forget Ethan for a few more hours.

 _Ding_.

**Ethan : send your location, and I’ll send a car.**

And just like that, she wasn’t angry at him.

Charlie sent her location and typed a message to Kyra explaining her absence, and once the car arrived, she climbed in buzzing with adrenaline and confidence that she’d made the right choice, even if she knew it was wrong.

Because tonight, she got to be with Ethan.

And she got to form a new memory she could play in the dark… 


End file.
